Life After NBA: Players Who Were Successful After Retiring

While many NBA players often forget that, there are also a good number of former pro hoopers who made smart moves and found success even after leaving the league and the game they love.

Those who went broke is a topic for another day. Today, we look at some ex NBA stars who are thriving away from the bright lights.

Michael Jordan

Being the consensus G.O.A.T has its benefits, you know? There’s the Jordan Brand that continues to bring His Airness at least $100 million a year. Not to mention his endorsement deals with the likes of Hanes, Gatorade and Upper Deck.

MJ, however, made the smart move of investing on the Charlotte Hornets. He’s now the majority owner of the franchise—the first former player to do so—and continues to profit from it.

In fact, Forbes estimates Jordan’s net worth to be $1.65 billion, thanks to the Hornets’ soaring team value (despite their lack of on-court success) and his Jordan Brand.

Magic Johnson

As great as Johnson is as a basketball player, he’s even better as a businessman.

Johnson has multiple business interests both inside and outside the sports world. He has investments in real estate and even owns the Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment company that includes a chain of theaters and restaurants.

Besides his role as Los Angeles Lakers’ president of basketball operations, Johnson is also involved with other pro sports teams in LA such as the WNBA’s Sparks, Dodgers and LAFC. Oh, he’s an investor for an eSports team as well!

Kobe Bryant

Two years after his retirement, Kobe continues to show his “Mamba Mentality.” Now, he’s an NBA Champion, an MVP, an All-Star, a venture capitalist and an Oscar winner.

Kobe recently won the Academy Award for his animated short film “Dear Basketball,” which was based on the retirement poem he wrote for The Players’ Tribune in 2015.

The 39-year-old also owns Kobe Inc. which aims to help grow brands in the sports industry. Last 2016, he expanded his business portfolio by launching Bryant-Stibel, a $100 million-backed venture capital firm focused on technology, media and data companies.

Rick Fox

Fox may not have the same star status as the other players on this list, but that didn’t hinder him from being an off-court success after he hung up his sneaker.

Although he is known for his acting stints, his recent investments as an owner of an eSports organization, Echo Fox, is now making waves. Echo Fox fields teams in League of Legends, Call of Duty: WWII, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Super Smash Bros., and many more!

As an eSports team owner, Fox is even credited for changing the culture of managing teams.

Shaquille O’Neal

The Big Aristotle isn’t only a genius when it comes to basketball but also in business.

Way before he retired, he already set himself up for success by investing in Google, Apple and General Electric before they went public. He went on to amass a vast portfolio of investments, owning car washes, Krispy Kreme franchises, restaurants and Las Vegas clubs to name a few.

O’Neal also put emphasis on his education throughout his playing career and after his retirement, finishing his doctoral degree in education from Barry University in 2012.